Wing Commander Armada: Proving Grounds

Proving Grounds is one of the rare pieces of Wing Commander software that was never released in a retail box. It was originally available at the Origin BBS as a free addon to Wing Commander Armada. The game added ipx network support and extended gameplay options for up to six people simultaneously. Proving Grounds has the best asteroids in any Wing Commander games. On their highest setting, asteroids show up on sensors and players can duck behind their radar shadows to evade opponents. In flight upgrades are possible during some gameplay modes, including an exotic gun that penetrates and negates cloaking devices. In May of 2005, Wing Commander fans played their first games of Proving Grounds online thanks to newly developed patches. Efforts are currently under way to smooth out this process and improve the experience.

Proving Grounds mode allows players to kill each other while competing for powerup items to increase your ship's capabilites, including shields and armor, weapons, cloaking device, fuel, and a cloaked ship scanner to view ships that are cloaked.

Screenshots

Where to buy

Armada owners may download Proving Grounds free of charge. The original Armada works quite well in DOSBox, though a patch is necessary to enable joysticks and online play. The easiest way to enjoy the game on a modern computer and operating system, is to buy it as a digital download from Good Old Games.

Playing the game

Don't know how to land your ship? Stuck on a particularly difficult mission? The following items may be of help: